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Frequently Asked Questions

This page answers common questions about alexithymia using the published research literature. It is informational only. For personal questions about your own emotional life, mental health, or treatment, please consult a qualified clinician.

If you have additional questions, please contact us.

What is alexithymia?

Alexithymia is a personality construct describing difficulty identifying feelings, difficulty describing feelings to others, and an externally oriented style of thinking. The term was introduced by Peter Sifneos in 1973 from Greek roots meaning, roughly, "no words for emotions." It is treated in the literature as a dimensional trait that varies across the general population rather than a category one either has or does not have. For a recent overview, see the Cambridge Handbook of Alexithymia and Taylor, Bagby, and Parker (1997).

Is alexithymia a mental disorder?

No. Alexithymia is not listed as a disorder in the DSM-5 or ICD-11. It is conceptualized in the research literature as a personality trait that can co-occur with a range of medical and psychiatric conditions (Taylor, Bagby, & Parker, 1997).

Can alexithymia be diagnosed?

There is no formal clinical diagnosis of alexithymia. It is measured using validated assessment instruments (see below). These instruments produce scores on a continuum; cutoff scores are sometimes used in research, but they are not equivalent to a clinical diagnosis. Assessment should be interpreted by a qualified professional alongside other clinical information.

How is alexithymia measured?

Several validated instruments exist. The most commonly cited in the research literature are:

  • Toronto Alexithymia Scale (TAS-20) — 20-item self-report measure developed by Bagby, Parker, and Taylor (1994). The most widely used measure of alexithymia. Subscales: Difficulty Identifying Feelings (DIF), Difficulty Describing Feelings (DDF), and Externally Oriented Thinking (EOT).
  • Bermond–Vorst Alexithymia Questionnaire (BVAQ) — self-report measure developed by Bob Bermond and Hein C. M. Vorst, with cognitive and affective dimensions; see Bermond and Vorst (2013) for validation.
  • Perth Alexithymia Questionnaire (PAQ) — 24-item self-report measure developed by Preece, Becerra, Robinson, Dandy, and Allan (2018). Separately assesses difficulty identifying feelings, difficulty describing feelings, and externally oriented thinking for positive and negative emotions.
  • Toronto Structured Interview for Alexithymia (TSIA) — clinician-administered structured interview developed by Bagby, Taylor, Parker, and Dickens (2006).
  • Observer Alexithymia Scale (OAS) — 33-item informant-rated measure developed by Haviland, Warren, and Riggs (2000). Completed by someone who knows the person being assessed.

Self-report instruments and online versions of these scales are screening tools. They are not diagnostic instruments and their results should not be treated as a clinical conclusion.

How common is alexithymia?

In a large Finnish general-population study by Mattila, Salminen, Nummi, and Joukamaa (2006), the prevalence of alexithymia (as measured by the TAS-20) was approximately 10% overall, with higher rates in men (11.9%) than women (8.1%) and a strong positive association with age. Prevalence estimates vary across populations, instruments, and cutoff thresholds used.

What is the relationship between alexithymia and autism?

Alexithymia and autism are distinct constructs that frequently co-occur. A systematic review and meta-analysis by Kinnaird, Stewart, and Tchanturia (2019) reported elevated rates of alexithymia among autistic individuals relative to non-autistic comparison groups. The authors and subsequent literature argue that some emotional-processing differences historically attributed to autism may be more closely associated with co-occurring alexithymia. See the review for effect sizes and methodological caveats.

Do people with alexithymia experience emotions?

The research literature describes alexithymia as a difficulty with the identification, description, and cognitive processing of emotional experience, not the absence of emotion itself. See Taylor, Bagby, and Parker (1997) and the Cambridge Handbook of Alexithymia for detailed treatment.

Where can I learn more?

See Assessment Instruments for more on the measures listed above, and Papers for the primary research literature. For clinical questions, including assessment and treatment options, please consult a licensed mental health professional. This site does not provide medical advice.